Inheritance
by La5021
Summary: Set after the events of Brisingr.
1. Chapter 1

Book 4

Chapter 1

Three days had passed since the deaths of Shur'tugal Oromis and Glaedr and Arya spent those days by remaining in her tent and simply observing the rain. She spoke to her mother on the second day and expressed her condolences for she knew that the Immortal Queen Islanzadi was close to them. She dared not speak to either Eragon or Saphira for fear of what she might do or say.

During her last visit to her hometown of Ellesméra she'd grown close to him, she considered him to be her best friend, but when he admitted his true feelings for her she was enraged for some uknown reason and she broke his fairth.

Staring at the rain _He _was the one that was on her mind. Stop it she thought to herself. Her mind slipped back to one of her many memories concerning him: to when he was alone in the Empire after facing the Ra'zac. At the time she didn't even consider the consequences of her actions and ran after him, much to the dismay of Nasuada. She smiled. The leader of the Varden did order her not to go after him, but she soon realized that she had no hold what so ever over the Elven Princess.

_iShe was running as fast as she could, she just wanted to know for herself that he was safe. As Eragon caught the first glimpse of her in the distance, his face lit up with evident joy and Arya marveled at the depth in his chocolate brown eyes. She saw the forbidden love he felt for her. Eragon mistaked her blank face for uneasyness and immediately locked away the feeling that continued to pain his heart. _She shuddered at the thought. _If only he knew/i_. She sighed.

Her thoughts passed to the siege of Feinster, to the _relief_ to know he was safe under her watch. i_His expression passed from excitment to be back with the Varden and eagerness to prove the worthiness of his new sword, to utter desolation and sadness. Soon after she discovered what was troubling him: the deaths of the ancient and powerful Oromis and his mighty dragon Glaedr. Her self-control vanished and she sank into his arms. Her heart fluttered being so close to him. How does he do that to me?/i _

Suddenly Arya awoke from her daydream when she heard footsteps coming from outside her tent. Arya's tent was situated in the outskirts of the Varden camp, so any one who walked in that direction must have wanted to speak to her. It was i_him/i_. She quickly threw up her barriers and tried to regain some of her composure by putting on a blank and expressionless face.

"A..Arya?" he said in a low voice. She turned around and allowed him to sit dow next to her on her bed. His eyes eyes were sad.

"Why are you here, Eragon?" she whispered. Her emerald eyes locked onto his and Arya felt like she was drowning in the dephts of them. Eragon felt her uneasiness "I'm sorry, Arya Svit-kona" he said and left her. A tear started to form and ever so gently made its way down her cheek. The Princess was overwhelmed by her feelings and voices kept whispering in her mind. i_Tell him!/i _said her self-conscious. i_Think of what it would mean!/i _screamed her more reasonable side. Arya had no idea how long she just lay there on her bed. But before drifting into the dream state of the elves she decided that she would no longer act or think like a love-sick human girl. She was Arya, daughter to Queen Islanzadi and King Evandar, the sole heir to the Elven throne. She would not let her emotions rule her. i_Not until the time is right/i _was her last thought before she gently lost consciosness.

Eragon exited Arya's tent and ran as fast as he could. He could not bear the pain he felt in his heart. She was breaking it again. He just kept running, he had no idea where he was going. Eragon finally stopped in a clearing and could faintly hear the flapping of wings.

_iLittle one?/i _said the sapphire dragon i_Ah little one. I'm so sorry/i_. Saphira let all of her love and compassion flow through their link in the attempt of lifting her rider's spirits.

_iSaphira, how does she do this to me? I.. I can't do this anymore. Every time I convince myself I can let my feelings go, I see her and they just grow stronger. I love her with all my heart_./i he cried

_iGive her time. I'm sure she'll come around. At the moment she is overwhelmed with sadness over the Rider's death./i _Eragon thought he felt a hint of jelousy coming from Saphira, but let it go. She was the one person that was always there for him, she always kne what to say.

_iCome, Nasuada seeks our council/i. _And with that Eragon Shadeslayer jumped onto his dragon's back as they flew back to the camp. The Rider was actually surprised at the distance he'd run in only a few minutes. He sighed. He knew he would see her again in a matter of minutes.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Saphira landed a few tents away from Nasuada's and allowed her rider to jump off her back. The Varden's camp was full of movement. There were people everywhere: the newly recruited soldiers from Feinster were heading to the rebel's armoury, their own soldiers started to pull down tents and place them on the numerous wagons. Eragon could hear Katrina's voice in the distance. He smiled. Roran must have gotten into trouble again.

_You're starting to look better _said his beautiful dragon.

_Aye, I feel better when I know that we're getting something done_. And with that he entered the brown tent. It was guarded only by two men; they stood tall and proud at the entrance; they nodded they allowed Eragon to enter.

It seemed he was the last to arrive, after he sat down Saphira poked her head through the flaps, there was no way for her to fit her whole body inside the small tent.

Nasuada sat at the end of wooden table, she was wearing a maroon coloured dress. It matched perfectly with her dark skin. To her right sat King Orrin and to her left sat Jormundur. Eragon was sitting opposite Arya.

Nasuada broke the silence that had engulfed the room. "Right then. We need to move north toward the city of Belatona. In three days time I'll send a small battalion to secure the small city of Melian but in three weeks we will need your assistance, Eragon." she glanced in his direction. She motioned to show her war advisors and best strategists her plan. They simply nodded in agreement ".. The elves are about to start their march towards Dras-Leona" she continued "That's where we will join them. And from there to Urubaen."

"Now, in the meantime Eragon, Arya I want you to try to find as much information as possible on you-know-what and the last remaining egg. We need to gain an advantage over Galbatorix if we are to overpower him."

"I may have an idea" interjected Eragon "Jeod, could prove useful if he still has in his possession the scrolls that show secret passage ways into various cities in the Empire. I'm referring to the source of Galbatorix's power, of course. I'm sure he keeps them with him at all time."

Before he could continue he was interrupted by King Orrin "Shadeslayer, if you know what the source of the evil King's power, you must share it with us."

"I'm afraid I cannot, King Orrin" said Eragon in a low voice. Orrin glared at him.

"As I was saying, the egg's location however is quite obvious." Arya, Nasuada, Jormundur and the rest of the war advisors and strategists' eyes widened. But, before I reveal its location, I must ask from all of your word in the Ancient Language that you shall not reveal to anyone what I'm about to tell you." One by one everyone in the room swore an oath of secrecy to Eragon and Saphira.

"Eragon, I'm most keen to know how you came up with your theory" said Arya.

"Very well, then. I've spent the past few days thinking how to destroy Galbatorix and how to rescue the egg. As you all know, Murtagh and Thorn were in Gil'ead a few days ago" he winced as he mentioned the Red Rider's name but no one seemed to notice except Saphira. She growled in response. "There they fought my master and his dragon and they were killed" this last sentence was nothing more than a whisper.

"Eragon.." started Arya. She stared at him with her shimmering emerald eyes, showing understanding, compassion and...love. i_No/i_. Eragon must have imagined the last one. He regained some of his composure and continued.

"Why else would Murtagh and Thorn be in Gil'ead where he was certain to lose, considering how many elves and how many spellcasters the Elven army possesses, if not to recover something? It's in Gil'ead. Nasuada, you said to me yourself that the Red Rider had visited the city not long before the siege began. I believe it's because Galbatorix is trying to get the last egg to hatch and so I've reached the conclusion that it's hidden somewhere in the city." he said extremely satisphied with himself. His thoughts were smug and Saphira chuckled.

"If the Murtagh ad Thorn were certain to lose, how is it that your masters perished?" asked Orrin. Eragon tried to remain calm, but he found that his fists were clenched under the table in anger. Suddenly he felt a soothing presence against his mind. He recognized it immediately and granted her access. _Calm down_ she said softly. With that she left his mind.

"They _died_ because Galbatorix entered Murtagh's mind and if my master hadn't had a seizure in mid air, he would be telling the tale and not I." he said roughly, doing his best to keep himself under control.

"Well, Eragon I do believe that yours is a good theory. But why would Galbatorix wait until now to try to get it to hatch? It's been in his possession for years." said Arya.

"This is something I've still not been able to figure out yet, Arya Drottingu." he finally said. Nasuada seemed to be processing the latest news and after a few minutes she replied to Eragon's theory,

"I must admit I'm impressed and for the sake of Alagaesia, I hope you're right. Tomorrow at dawn you and Arya shall go to Gil'ead and search for the egg. I shall send Blodgharm when we are about to take Belatona." And with that she exited the tent.

"I shall inform my mother that she is to expect us in two days time." said Arya and she too exited the tent to return to her own.

Later that day Arya retrieved a mirror from her bag and murmed "Draumr kópa". After a few seconds a figure started to appear in the mirror. It was an Elf. He recognized the Elven Princess and they exchanged the traditional Elven greeting.

"Would you send for my mother?" the elf nodded and disappeared. Minutes passed and finally Islanzadi appeared in the mirror. She did not take her time to greet her daughter according to tradition.

"Good evening, my daughter" she said in a proud and regal voice.

"Good evening, mother" she answered "I wanted to inform you that Eragon Shadeslayer and I are to travel to Gil'ead at dawn. I do not wish to part with the details surrounding our visit. It is an extremely delicate subject."said Arya. She too had the same tone of voice as her mother. She despised it but she would not show weakness in front of her.

"Very well. I will see you in two days time. May the stars watch over you, my daughter" And with that she ended the comunication.

Before resting the Princess decided it was best to pack now instead of morning, she would most likely forget something and regret it later on in their journey. Finally finished, she lay down in bed, hoping for a good night's rest. But she knew what was coming. And with that she closed her eyes and smiled at the figure that approached her in her dreams.

E_ragon_ _._


	3. Chapter 3

Right, so the next two chapters are mostly fillers until we get to Gil'ead. Yeahh! But I'm not extremely happy with it. I'd like to thank you guys for the reviews and the alerts, I really appreciate them.

Chapter 3

_Two people sat on a stone bench in the gardens of Tialdarí Hall. They were surrounded by the most beautiful flowers; the woman reached out and picked her favourite: the Black Morning Glory and held it in her palm. She seemed to be relaxing and enjoying what was a marvelous day. The sun was shining, birds were singing and she was happy to finally settle down with the man she loved. _

_The man stared at her with his chocolate brown eyes, he too was enjoying the day but most importantly the sight before him. The woman was wearing an emerald dress, much like the colour of her eyes, it was intricate yet simple and it only complimented her natural beauty. Her hair graciously fell on her back almost reaching her waist. A strand of raven black hair caressed her cheek and the man reached out and tucked it behind her pointed ear. His hand lingered on her cheek and he began to stroke it. _

_After what seemed like an eternity the man leaned closer and ever so gently places his lips upon hers for the sweetest of kisses. He smiled at her as they broke apart. They stayed that way until the woman said the the three words that melted his heart. "I love you."_

Arya awoke all of a sudden. I love him. Once again her more rational side took over and shoved her emotions into the dephts of her mind, not allowing them to resurface. She could not slip back into her trance and instead of waiting quietly in her tent, she decided to go for a walk to clear her head of the memories of her dream; she was to meet Eragon, Saphira and Nasuada in three hours and she did not want her thoughts to linger on him more than necessary.

She wasn't walking in any particular direction, her feet merely wandered to the nearby forest that surrounded Feinster. Walking through the trees seemed to trigger a faint memory of her childhood in Ellesméra.

_Arya was no more than six years old when she discovered the death of her father, King Evandar. At the time she running through the gardens, her favourite place in the whole of Alagaesia. She was approached by her mother, requesting her to go to her quarters while she deal with matters of the upmost importance. _

_Arya had always been a stubborn child and this kind of behaviour was often encouraged by her father. He spoiled her; afterall she was his only child. The princess did not make her way to her room, instead she purposely followed her mother to the council room. The walls in the hallway were ornated with hundreds of fairths depicting the Great Riders and Kings and Queens of the Elves. Arya's favourite, however, was one rappresenting her mother and father. It was placed just across from the council room. She often gazed upon it with her shining emerald eyes that she inherited from her father, with wonder. Her mother was always a proud woman, regal and often cold even with her own daughter, but somehow her eyes seemed to soften in the fairth. They were filled with joy, love and kindness as she held her mate's hand. Evandar stood next to her, amusement gleaming from his eyes.. He was a tall man, even for the elves and a body build that resembled that of the Riders. At his side stood the famous Drotting sword, the sword that had been in his family for generation. It wasn't a typical Elven blade. It was of an exotic design, with a thick broad blade and a hilt that was thinner than most. Arya simply stared at her two parents, forgetting her reason for staying in the hallway.. She was interrupted by the shouting that suddenly erupted from the council room. It was a cry of anguish and despair. She moved closer to the door with the intent of discovering the elf that produced such a sound. Her Elven ears only picked up a few words "..dead..", "..the King..", "..Morzan..". At that point Arya decided she had heard enough; tears roamed freely down her face and she once again ran.. _

Arya did not want to continue her trail of thought with that particular memory, it was too painful. She stopped by a nearby tree that somewhat resembled the one just outside her quarters in Tialdari Hall. She sat down and silently observed the forest around her. The moon shone through the trees and created the beautiful shade of white and dark blue that engulfed all that surrounded the princess. There was a sudden movement and a dark figure approached. Arya immediately regretted not having her sword with her; she would have to rely on her magic skills to defeat the opponent. She was not sure if her mental barriers would hold in that moment, too many thoughts threatened to overwhelm her.

As the dark figure approached she still couldn't make out a face. She expanded her mind and found that the person that continued his/her way was well educated: she could not infiltrate his/her mind. Arya couldn't cry for help as no one would hear her and her pride wouldn't allow it. _Barzûl_ Why o why did I have to go for a walk she thought as the figure continued to advance in her direction.

Once the figure moved closer she recognized her and sighed.

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><p>Ah the first cliffhanger. Who is it? You're only going to find out if you read the next chapter so bear with me people! Please, R&amp;R.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**I think I'm spoiling you with the next two chapters. R&R people! R&R! **

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

"Angela, what are you doing here?" she asked. The witch grinned.

"I might ask you the same question, _Dröttingu_. Angela watched the elf as the shock finally broke through her blank face, with amusement. Arya was about to demand an explanation, but was interrupted by the fortune teller. "I have my sources, Princess. But I don't think I'll reveal who they are." And once again she grinned.

Anger and rage started to build up inside of Arya; very few people knew of her heritage. _Eragon, Saphira, Nasuada, Ajihad, Brom and the elves_. Eragon would never betray her trust. Would he?

As if she were reading her mind, the witch once again spoke, but in a much kinder tone, weary of the elf. "Arya, do you honestly think the blockhead would tell me anything about you that I already know? If you must know, I discovered this particular piece of information years ago. I shall not reveal _who_ let it slip though." Angela winked.

Arya was still supiscious. She never had completely trusted Angela and this certainly proved her suspicions to be correct. What did she know about Angela?

"You still haven't answered my question, _witch_." growled the Elven Princess.

"I like to be where things happen. And something interesting is about to happen." Angela stared at the elf for the few moments and then suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.

_She's mad_ thought Arya. Her anger started to disappear, but she was still weary of the person that stood in front of her. She hardly knew anything about her.

"Would you like me to predict your future, Princess?" The question caught her by surprise. Eragon told her in Ellesméra of how the witch predicted his future in Teirm, although he never told her what she had said. He did, however, mention Solembum's words and that was how he had discovered the location of the brightsteel for Brisingr. Arya was enraged when he told her of what Saphira had done to the Menoa Tree to retrieve it and that eventually the Menoa Tree would claim something from the Rider.

Faintly aware that Angela was still awaiting an answer, she decided to accept. She certainly couldn't return to her tent and sleep and she certainly did not want to relive the haunting memories of her childood.

"Very well, Angela. You may." she finally said.

The witch led the elf to her tent, which was also situated on the edge of the Varden camp. She noticed that a variety of herbs of plants were growing next to it. When Arya asked of them she simply shrugged.

The inside of the tent was structured in a peculiar way: there was a small cot in the far corner, but it looked unused. The inside walls of the tent were a shade of deep purple with a hint of gold. There was a fairly large table with two wooden chairs at each end of it. There were scrolls everywhere. Arya could only catch glimpses of them in the dark, but she could tell that most of them dated back to the Fall.

Angela reached into a drawer and pulled out a pouch; she sat down in one of the chairs and invited Arya to do the same. Angela emptied the content of the pouch onto the table. Arya looked at the bones curiously. "They're dragon knucle bones." explained the fortune teller and Arya's eyes widened.

Silence engulfed the tent as Angela closed her eyes in concentration. The elf was suddenly aware of a third person in the tent; she turned around to find Solembum staring intently at her from on top of a large dresser. His red eyes glowing in the dark. _*****I can't seem to find the exact colour of Solembum's eyes anywhere. If I'm mistaken please do point it out*****_

"This is difficult. Only once have I seen a future so entangled. Your fate is closely intertwined with another: it will be an epic romance, strong enough to outlast Empires. However I cannot foresee the outcome of such love. His future will be determined by your decisions; you have the chance to save him. If you do not succede he will leave Alagaesia forever and thus, you and everyone he cares for. I can also see another of great power coming to you. He shall be your other half; once you find him, you will be free."

Arya simply sat there, pondering the words of the fortune teller. _Could it be..?_ she shook her head. It was a movement that even the most acute Elven senses could not have seen. She refused to face the fact that maybe even _Wyrda_ smiled upon her _highly_ unlikely future relationship with Eragon._ But maybe..No, she still wasn't ready. He still wasn't ready_

_Who could this other person be?_ Arya wasn't particularly sure who it could be.

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><p><strong>Right, so what do you think? How am I doing so far? I've just finished chapter 5, lucky for you. Ah the beauty of the summer holidays. Anyway, reviews are always appreciated so please tell me what you think.<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**As promised here's chapter 5. This has been my favourite chapter to write so far, so I hope you like it. Reviews are love, people. If you think this story is worth continuing, please let me know. **

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Arya was still pondering Angela's words as the sun rose to start a new day. Angela had slipped away unnoticed, leaving the elf and Solembum alone in the tent.

As the first light began to chase away the darkness from the room, the werecat jumped down from the dresser and moved to sit on the table in front of the princess to once again fix his gaze upon the stoic Arya.

Faintly aware of the fact that Eragon would soon be expecting her at the Northen gate of Feinster, Arya opened her eyes to find the chair across from her empty. She searched the room for Angela, but could not sense her presence.

"She left." said a voice.

Arya had not yet noticed the werecat who was staring intently at her.

"She was complaining about the pig-headedness of the elves and the Riders and left to seek new entertainment." Arya raised an eyebrow at the statement, but continued to remain silent. Werecats did not often interact with other beings, much less humans and the elf often wondered why Solembum spent as much time as he did with Angela.

During her time in the witch's tent, Arya had let go of her unemotional mask giving the werecat full view of her emotions. Reading the confusion spread across her features, he continued.

"She is an interesting individual. Things tend to happen around her." The princess was about to make her leave from the tent when he pressed on.

"You are aware of the words I passed onto the Shadeslayer, are you not?" She nodded, not quite finding the words to speak.

"And, pray tell me, what do you know of the Vault of Souls?" he asked. His red eyes still fixed upon her,

"Eragon once asked me of it, but I do not recall where I might of heard the name."

"I figured as much. Tell me princess, do you feel as if someone may have _misplaced_ the memory?" Arya's eyes widened. It was highly unlikely that any elf would purposely endanger someone's mind in that manner and the implication that the werecat's question brought were dangerously high. Who would tamper with Arya's mind?

"Impossible..." was the only word that escaped her lips.

"Nay, princess. It is not impossible, only highly unlikely and yet it is true." Arya gasped. She knew it was the truth as werecats rarely bestowed their words and their wisdom far excelled that of regular scholars and rivaled the eldest of the elves.

Solembum pressed on.

" I assume you know of the story of how the Menoa Tree came to be." She nodded. "What you do not know is that the elf who sang herself into the tree was also known as Kuthian, an ancient name that is only bestowed on those chosen by the forest. Kuthian was the guardian of the Vault of Souls. The Vault of Souls is our balance with nature, it contains every soul of every being to ever walk this earth.

Now, the guardians of the Vault, unlike other elves, age more quickly and when this particular guardian feel in love, she despaired. It is common knowledge what happened next. She killed her former lover and his new mate and then sang herself into the tree, becoming one with nature and the forest and forever closing the entrance of the Vault.

At the time, the Vault of Souls was a myth and only the guardians knew this legend to be true. In her final act, Kuthian erased the legend from the minds of Alagaesia and ended the cyclce: after her there were no more guardians and the Vault of Souls was and is quite possibly lost forever."

Arya was speechless, utterly speechless. A secret that had been lost for centuries had finally been revealed. After a few minutes, curiosity got the better of her.

"I must ask this. The knowledge to which you have just parted would be more useful to the Shadeslayer, would it not?" she asked in her musical voice that since the start of the conversation had once again returned to normal.

"Nay, Drottingu. Eragon must not know of this discussion, until the time is right, which is why you must swear to me in the Ancient Language that you shall not mention or discuss our meeting until your heart is whole."

Arya was slightly confused at his request, but reluctantly agreed to his condition. She was also left wondering what he could have possibly meant with his final statement. _Until your heart is whole_ echoed throughout her mind. _What could it possibly mean?_

Eragon would have been the first person she would talk to if she had been the bearer of such knowledge, personal feelings aside. He was the last free Rider of Alagaesia and the Head Rider of the New Order. Afterall she was only the ambassador of the elves to the Varden and a princess even if the latter was not common knowledge. But still, Arya was most curious to understand Solembum's reason for sharing this information with her.

Before she could open her mouth, the werecat preceded her.

"Princess, I have my reasons and if you will excuse me, I am going to enjoy the silence caused by the absence of that mad woman and have a nap. Remember your oath."

Arya silently left the tent and headed towards the newly captured city to meet dragon and Rider.

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><p><strong>When I first thought of this theory, I laughed at myself, but then I thought "what the hell!" so I just typed it. Reviews are always appreciated. I'm really curious to know what you think of my mad theory. <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**Guys, come on! I've given you 3 chapters in less than a week! I'd to thank those who thought my story is worth continuing and those who found my mad theory interesting. Anyway this is a lousy filler. I know, I know you want action, but believe me you're going to love what I have in store for you in the next chapters. Hope you like it! R&R people! R&R! Even if you think it's rubbish, tell me what's wrong and I'll try my best to fix it. **

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

As Arya walked through the bustling Varden camp, her mind was almost completely detached from her body and the activities surrounding her. Her mind was more preoccupied with thinking of a way ti conceil her previous conversation from Eragon. The princes lacked self-control in his presence and although she was bound by oath she was hard-pressed not to give something away.

_Just another secret _she thought rather miserably.

More than one soldier glanced in her direction with lustful eyes. To the human eye Arya was far more than fair. Her raven locks fell graciously from her head, hiding more often than not, two pointed ears. Her face, under the usual unemotional mask, was regal and fierce. A description fit for a Shadeslayer, a warrior and an elf. But underneath the shell and the mask lay the nature of a princess. Her eyes were most striking. Her two emerald orbs were as green as the Du Weldenvarden forest and just as deep.

Among the elves, however, Arya was not considered beautiful. Her rebellious nature thwarted away many suitors, much to her amusement and much to the dismay of her mother. Such playfullness and lack of seriousness was not tolerated by the elves. But, alas, this side of Arya was not known to the world except in the presence of a certain Rider.

After her imprisonment in Gil'ead and after the death of her beloved Faolin, she was sure she would spend eternity mourning his loss, destined to never love again. How wrong she was.

_Faolin_. She sighed. She missed him deeply. Most of all she missed his company; their conversations could last hours and neither party would feel the need to retire.

"Good morning, Arya." greeted a voice that stopped her train of thought. She had walked through the entire camp without even noticing. Her eyes flicked to the person in front of her. Eragon. He stood a few feet away from her with a smile plastered across his face and yet it was not a happy one, for it did not reach his eyes. His beautiful chocholate brown eyes. As she studied him more carefully, she noticed the deep purple circles under his eyes. He looked as if he had not slept in days. She frowned, promising herself to question him later.

Realising she had yet to respond, she greeted him back in the same manner.

"Good morning, Eragon." His face seemed to brighten slightly at her demeanor. The Rider was beggining to place two fingers to his sternum when she interrupted him.

"Eragon, there is no need. We are friends, are we not?" He blushed.

"Um.. Yes.. Well.." was all he could say.

Arya ignored his stutter and begain to walk towards Saphira, Nasuada, and Blodgharm when she called after Eragon who was locked in the same position of a few moments ago. Eragon was in awe of her. The princess chuckled. How the Rider still loved her after the Agaetì Blodhren dumbfounded her. _Perhaps there was still.. No, no, no. Not today _she told herself. In the meantime Eragon seemed to have awoken and was now walking alongside Arya.

Saphira lay in the sun, basking in its warmth. The sunlight reflected beautifully off of her sapphire scales creating a wonderous spectacle.

"Greetings, Lady Nasuada." she said once she caught sight of the Lady of the Varden who was standing on the other side of the great dragon. She moved to perform the traditional Elven greeting with the male elf, who, once completed, nodded with "Drottingu".

The dragon opened an eye and blinked in aknowledgement in Arya's direction.

"Now then, you are to retrn in a week's time for the Varden will have need of you for the preparations of the siege of Belatona. I bid you farewell." with that left Nasuada towards Jormundur who grew impatient of waiting for his Lady.

Blodgharm was quietly conversing with Eragon as Arya walked closer to the sapphire dragon.

_I am happy you are joining us_ said Saphira.

_It is an honour to accompany you, Brightscales_ replied the princess.

_Bah! Elves and their honour. I believe I speak for my Rider when I say that we enjoy your company Emerald Eyes_ Saphira, believing the conversation was over, once again closed her eyes.

"Are we ready?" asked Eragon. For the first time in four days, Arya thought she saw the first true smile that graced his features. Arya barely managed a nod.

The Rider climbed expertly onto his dragon's back and sat comfortably in his saddle and offered a hand to the elf, which she glady accepted. If Arya had to be perfecly honest with herself, she could have easily jumped on without the Rider's help, but she could not resist. As Saphira jumped into the air with ease, Eragon wrapped his arms around her waist protectively. She let out a sigh in contentment. True she was going to see her mother, an event which she dreadded with all her heart, but she was not going to miss the opportunity to say goodbye to Oromis and Glaedr that over the years had become father figures to her. And of course she would assist Eragon in finding the last egg, that hopefully would hatch for someone the Varden's ranks giving the rebels another hope in the war against the tyrant king Galbatorix.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? Right, guys. This is really really important. The fate of Murtagh is in your hands. He's not my favourite character, so honestly I wouldn't mind killing him and being done with it, BUT I'm giving you the chance to save him if you want to. I'm setting up a poll on my profile exactly for this purpose, so if you want him to live vote YES, if you want me to kill him eventually vote NO. R&amp;R!<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Right, so this is my longest chapter so far. Another filler, but I promise that there will be some action in the next chapter! So, about the poll, I've decided to make both sides happy. Last night I finished my plan for the story and I think you'll be happy with my storyline :) I don't know when I'll publish the next chapter, but I'm sure that reviews will persuade me to write *hint, hint* **

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><p>Chapter 7<p>

The trio had been flying for over an hour when a thought occured to Arya.

_What route are we taking?_she asked, projecting her thoughts to both Rider and dragon. She assumed that they would not be flying through the Hadarac Desert, for it would take weeks for them to reach Gil'ead. Saphira was the one to answer.

_We are to fly over the Spine, Emerald-Eyes. The traitorous King is far too supersticious to dare venture in these trees_. Eragon nodded in agreement.

_We should stop in Kuasta for the night. That way we should arrive in Gil'ead by dusk_. said Eragon. Arya's eyes widened and she turned her head. Her face was mere inches from his. Eragon smiled and continued to project his thoughts. _Kuasta is about two hours away from our current position and I must admit that I am curious to see the town my father grew up in. Who knows, I might even meet some relatives! _

_Eragon_, cautioned Arya _you cannot engage in conversation with any of the townsfolk if not specifically asked a question and unless the occasion requires it. There are many spies throughout Alagaesia and if the King were to discover our location, I am sure he would set aside his superstitions and would not hesitate in sending Murtagh and Thorn to capture us./_

_Saphira and I have discussed this. Thorn was gravely injured by Glaedr in the last fight. According to Saphira he has a few broken ribs and a pierced wing. Those injuries alone would take a full week to heal, even with magic. His tail was also damaged and that would affect his flying. _Arya nodded, but could not help the feeling that something would go terribly wrong. She set aside her disturbing thoughts, concluding that they were merely due to the fact that she would be entering Gil'ead once more. She shuddered. She wished she did not have to re-enter such a place, but unfortunately Wyrda did not agree with her.

Changing the subject, Arya asked. _Is a Rider's burial miliar to the traditional Elven ceremony or is there something different? _She tried her best not to seem insensitive or too blunt, and if she had to be honest with herself, she would not have asked if curiosity hadn't gotten the better of her.

Eragon smiled slightly, but it did not reach his eyes. _Yes, there are a few differences, but for the most part it is the same as an Elven burial_. Arya let the subject drop, as she did not wish to pain the Rider any further. She could not fathom how the Rider must feel. He had only known Oromis for little over a year and in that time Eragon seemed a lot happier. For once, the Rider did not have to carry the burden of defeating the King alone and now he was the last free Dragon Rider in Alagaesia. Determination coursed through Arya as she promised herself that she would not fail in finding the egg and she would succede in finding its Rider.

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><p>During the course of the flight to Kuasta, Saphira had pestered elf and Rider into obliging her into a game of riddles. Saphira found their reluctance almost as entertaining as their pathetic guesses. Once the dragoness decided it was time to give Eragon and Arya a chance to play, the two grinned. Arya went first.<p>

_Mountains will crumble _

_and temples will fall_

_and no man can survive its endless call._

_Who am I?_

Saphira chuckled at the elf's eagerness to prove herself. _Well said, Little One. Well said_. Eragon seemed to be the only one who could not figure out the answer. Several minutes passed when he decided he had had enough. Arya let out laugh and Saphira hummed in amusement.

_Time, Eragon. The answer is Time_. said Saphira, finally putting him out of his misery. Eragon frowned, which caused more laughter from both females.

_My turni_ said Eragon happily, an evil grin replacing his frown.

_When I am filled I can point the way._

_When I am empty nothing moves me. _

_I have two skins: one without and one within._

_What am I?_

Eragon's grin widened at the baffled thoughts of the rest of the party. Arya had soon given up, since had a headache from overthinking. Saphira was more reluctant to give up, her pride not allowing her to do so. Over half an hour had passed and the dragon still could not find a suitable answer.

_Very well, Eragon. What is the answer? _she finally asked.

_And what's this? A mighty dragon, whose logic is incomparable cannot figure out the answer to a simple riddle? _teased the Rider.

Saphira growled in response, earning another round of laughter from Eragon and Arya.

_The answer is..i _Eragon waited a few moments to create suspense _a glove_

Saphira snorted and abandoned the game, her thoughts once again concentrated on her flying. Arya, however, had other plans for the Rider.

_The next one is easy, Eragon_ she said with a smile.

_What is so fragile that when you say its name, it breaks_

Eragon thought about his answer carefully before answering.

_Is the answer: Silence? _he asked hesitantly.

The elf smiled again. _Indeed it is_. At this, Eragon let out a triunphant grin and this time it did reach his eyes.

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><p>The three companions landed at the edge of the Spine, where Saphira would hunt and rest for the night; close enough to go to Eragon and Arya's aid if needed . Eragon jumped off of his dragon's back with ease and offered a hand to the princess, which once again, she gladly accepted. The pair gathered what they needed for their stay in the village from the sacks attached to Saphira's saddle.<p>

Once Eragon and Arya were ready to leave, they re-arranged their features with magic to appear human. Eragon watched in amazement as Arya's face transformed from that of a stunningly beautiful elf to human. To be safe she also changed the colour of her hair to a sunny-golden blonde and the colour of her eyes to a not so random chocolate brown. The Rider seemed to transform into the human he was before the Agaetì Blodhren, for the exception of his eyes and hair that became black and green.

Eragon also decided to change the scabbard and hilt of Brisingr, to not attract unwanted attention, to that of an average sword. Arya left her sword and bow with Saphira, deciding to take only a dagger, securely placed beneath her tunic on her right arm.

Saphira wished them good luck as she retreated to the forest to hunt. Eragon and Arya walked towards a line of paesants that gathered at the entrance of the town.

The entrance was guarded by only two soldiers that only asked for basic information. As elf and Rider approached the guards they quietly came up with their story.

"What's ur buzness in Kuasta?" asked one of guards with a heavy accent.

Eragon smiled. "My name is Gavin and this is my wife Daria." he answered, pointing to Arya. "I'm looking for work in town. Those wretched rebels are heading towards Melian and we decided to move before they massacred us."

"Aye, you be zmart, boy." The guard gestured to the other, allowing them passage into Kuasta.

Kuasta was a small town, but not smaller than Carvahall. There were a few houses and shops. The people looked overly suspicious towards any outsiders and luckily Eragon and Arya weren't the only newcomers. The pair found a tavern in the outskirts where they decided to spend the night. As Arya and Eragon read the sign that indicated the name, they let out a small chuckle. _Ye old Dragon_. They quietly retired for the evening, making sure they placed several protective spells on the room. As there was only one bed, the Rider offered the princess sleep there and he would sleep on the floor. The pair, exausted, quickly drifted off into sleep.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? R&amp;R, people! R&amp;R!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Not bad, eh? Two chapters in three days? :'D As promised there is some action in this and two major events happen in this chapter that are going to influence the rest of the story! Once again, I've spoiled you. Hope you enjoy it! R&R! **

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

After a good-night's rest, the trio was ready to continue their journey towards Gil'ead. They had encountered no trouble whatsoever exiting Kuasta unnoticed and after paying for their stay at the tavern, they soon joined Saphira at the edge of the forest. The flight was rather pleasant and Arya had to admit that there was nothing more beautiful than surveying Alagaesia from flying dragon-back. She would have to thank Saphira for the honour later.. She smiled, remembering the conversation she had had with the dragon before their departure.

As predicted they arrived just as twilight stretched across the sky, creating lovely shades of pink, purple and navy blue. _I stand corrected _thought Arya _this is stunning. I shall have to make a fairth of this. _The princess set her eyes upon the effects of the sunset upon the land. She could see Lake Isenstar in the distance and the mountain of Marna. It was beautiful.

"I know" murmured Eragon as if he were reading her mind.

Unfortunately the scene changed from awe to fear. Gil'ead. The fortress seemed to darken as Arya and Eragon fixed their gaze on what was a former Empire prison hold. _Durza... _She visibly flinched at even the thought of his name. Arya shrugged off the feeling and replaced it with a unemotional mask. She would not show weakness in front of Eragon, her mother and the elves; especially her mother.

Saphira landed just outside the fortress and was greeted by hundreds of elves that wished to praise her. Eragon seemed amused. As the elves now gathered around the new arrivals, Arya noticed how some regarded Eragon with pure hatred, masked of course with fake manners and courtesy. The Queen now approached, followed by her guard. She was just as regal and proud as she remembered. Truth be told Arya did not miss her mother as much as she used to, especially during her first years of banishment with the Varden, but she could not escape the feeling o longing o having her mother love and care for her as a human mother would.

Arya stepped a few feet backwards and allowed Eragon to quietly converse with Islanzadi. He was obviously narrating the capture of Feinster and the demise of Varaug. She could have easily listened in if she wanted to, but she did not want to linger in her mother's presence more than necessary. Protocol be damned.

Several minutes had passed when Eragon finally finished telling his tale. The Queen looked visibly shaken as she moved towards her daughter to embrace her in an extremely awkward hug.

"I have missed you" said she. The statement took the princess off guard as she did not know what to make of it. For the first time in over seventy years her mother had shown her some form of affection. During her last visit to Ellésmera with Eragon, their reunion had been strictly formal and Arya barely aknowledged the Queen's presence, which was understandable. She still had not forgiven her.

Arya stiffened and retracted from the embrace. "I'm sure you have" she replied coldly. Islanzadì sighed. Arya then swiftly marched over to Saphira, without so much as a good-bye to her mother, and gathered her belongings bidding good-night to a bewildered Eragon who now stood next to his dragon, to retire for the evening.

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><p>The next morning Arya awoke in a slightly better mood, knowing that she would spend the day with Eragon searching for the egg. The downside to this, however, was spending the day in the dreaded dungeons. There were certain memories that Arya did not want to relive and she certainly did not want them resurfacing now that she had finally regained some control over them.<p>

She quickly bathed and readied herself for what would be a very interesting day. As she walked through the camp in search of Shadeslayer, she nodded curtly to the elves that attempted to greet her, not in the mood to take on conversation since it was now common knowlodge that their princess was now also a Shadeslayer and they would probably detain her with praise.

She silently rejoiced when she found the Rider lying down against his dragon's belly. Arya wondered why he refused a tent, but who was she to judge? The elf was undecided as to whether indulge him with a few more minutes of well deserved sleep or to merely awaken him now. Saphira opened one huge eye and greeted the princess.

_Good morning, Emerald-Eyes _she said in a rather groggy voice. Arya tried her best not to seem amused.

_Greetings, Saphira _she replied happily, a small smile etched across her features.

_Well? Are you going to wake him? I wish to go flying and I do not need my Rider sleeping all day. I believe you have work to do, hmm?_ she asked as if irritated by Arya's lack of action. Her voice reminded her of her mother scowling at her after one of her rebellious outbirsts. She chuckled at one of her many memories.

The princess moved over to Eragon and shook him gently. He seemed to be talking in his sleep, murmuring silly things like _"Saphira, don't eat my breakfast!" _and _"Saphira, don't kill Orik!" _To this, Arya could not help bursting out laughing and Saphira hummed in great amusement. Eragon, hearing laughter, awoke all of a sudden, rather bewildered to find the Elven princess laughing. He looked around, trying to find the source of such entertainment, but for obvious reasons, he failed.

In the meantime the laughter had not yet died up or gave any sign of coming to end as the confused expression on the Rider's face only envoked more amusement for the two females.

Arya could not remember the last time she had laughed so much, especially at someone else's expense, but the look on Eragon's face was truly priceless. After what seemed like an eternity the pair finally decided to let him in on the joke. Eragon smiled and theatrically gave a bow. Saphira soon took off, muttering how tiring two-legged were and set out to enjoy her day.

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><p>Eragon and Arya spent the morning searching the city for any evidence of the egg, but unfortunately it was nowhere to be found. They searched the entire city, conjuring spells to locate it, tracing its magic, but to avail. There was a great tower in the center of the city, where the governor resided. All they found was documents from the King and viceversa.<p>

At one point though, Arya came across a most valuable piece of information.

"Eragon!" she yelled from across the room, trying to gain his attention. He swiftly made his way over to her.

"What is it? What have you found?" he asked eagerly. As he read the scroll, a grimace appeared upon his face.

"We have a spy in our midst" he breathed. A sound that was almost inaudible, even for the most capable of ears.

"Yes, but it does not mention a name. We must send this information immediately to Nasuada! It is quite possible that she will order us to return, but our task is extremely important, Eragon. The egg is much more valuable." she sighed.

They had since abandoned the tower and asked the Queen to relay their message ad they continued their search. The only place left was the dungeons.

According to Islanzadì, the elves had searched most of the dungeons for any remaining spellcasters, but had not ventured in the deepest part of the prison. It was mid-afternoon when Arya and Eragon decided to search the remaining tunnels and cells, but took certain precautions by allowing four very capable elves to accompany them.

The tunnels were dark and gloomy, the only light was the fire of the tourches in the hands of the four elves that accompanied the two Shadeslayers. Most cells were empty apart from a few that contained nothing more nothing less than rotten corpses that appeared to have been dead for days if not weeks. Arya noticed that all the bodies that were recovered were tortured in cruelest of ways. She had to close her eyes for a moment to regain her composure. _Durza_. Nobody seemed to notice Arya's moment of weakness except for Eragon who silently prodded her mental barriers, asking for entry into her mind, to which she consented.

_Are you o.. _Eragon had barely started speaking when a sudden thunder erupted from the wall in front of them. All of the companions were knocked to the ground as three masked figures appeared in front of them. One of them held a shiny emerald stone that shone in small light of the torches, in their hands.

"The egg" whispered Arya.

Both Shadeslayers stood up and unsheathed their swords, ready for battle. The four elves that were still on the dirty floor struggled to stand as the masked figures started to disappear down one of the tunnels.

Eragon foolishly left the safety of his guard and ran after them. He reached them soon enough and was now engaging one in a battle of swordmanship. The first masked figure had not been trained well. His swordmanship skills were average and it was an easy kill for Eragon as he gracefully plunged his sapphire blade through his heart. During the battle Arya had made her way towards the Rider, sword in hand, she also ready for battle. She easily found him, as she could hear the clanging of blades and screams of what could be described as pure agony.

Arya enganged in a mental battle with what seemed to be the leader of the group, the one who was holding the egg as if his life depended on it. Well, his life did depend on it. The man was trying to keep Arya out of his mind, but with she being an elf it was an extremely difficult task. She pushed through his mental barriers with brutal force as she deepened her consciousness into the man's mind.

_"You are to protect the egg with your life, do you understand me?" the man nodded._

_"If anything should happen to it, I will hunt you and your family down and I WILL NOT BE MERCIFUL!" said the same voice._

Arya retreated from the man's mind and slit his throat with her thin Elven blade. Eragon and the four elves quickly disposed of the other two masked figures. Arya was not paying much attention to the others, her gaze was fixed upon the emerald stone.

"The last egg." she whispered as she gently caressed it with her long fingers. They had found it.

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><p><strong>So, how did I do? Am I living up to expectations, or am I failing miserably? Tell me what you think, I love to read your opinions. R&amp;R!<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Ok, so before we really start moving along with the story, I really really really wanted to write a chapter about Oromis and Glaedrs' funeral, but I'm afraid my attempt failed rather miserably. I'm not particularly happy with it. **

**Random question. If they remade the Eragon movie, who would you cast as Arya? Just humour me, guys. It's late here and there's a rooster that wakes half the neighborhood up at four in the morning and I'm hoping coffee will kick in eventually. R&R!**

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

After returning from the dungeons, it had been decided that Arya be the egg-bearer. It was pointless discussion, really and it had ended with Eragon having the final word despite all failed attempts from the Queen to dissuade him. Arya had a big smile on her face all the way through the argument. She had not smiled so much in a long long time, probably since her youth in Ellésmera, Islanzadì however did not find her daughter's behaviour amusing.

As Arya returned to her tent to retire for the night, she gently caressed the emerald stone. The last egg. _Finally, something to even our chances against the King _she thought, entering the small pavillon. She placed the egg on her nightstand and cast several wards around herself, the Varden's new hope and her tent - to warn her if any kind of danger approached. She also placed two small daggers under her pillow, just to be extra cautios. Finally pleased with her safety arrangements, she fell asleep.

The next day was the day of the funeral. Today she would say goodbye to two ancient beings that had been both friends and fathers to the young princess. Arya had known for days how she would honour them, but she did not think it was enough. For the occasion she wore a simple green dress that graced her figure beautifully. It was tradition for the elves to dress in warm colours and not in black. Black rappresented death and today they were celebrating the lives of two beloved beings of the forest. Arya made a mental note to remember to ask Eragon why humans wore such a dark colour.

During her time with the Varden, the Elven ambassador and princess had attended many funerals, but she did not know anyone in particular to whom she could talk to about this particular subject. Faolin and Glenwig obviously were not interested in human traditions, whilst Arya found them fascanating.

She also decided to wear her hair down and she replaced her usual black leather headband with her formal golden one. It had been a gift from her father when she was younger and she only wore it at the most important functions. Arya looked at her reflection in the mirror and when she was somewhat pleased with her appearance, she exited the tent.

As Arya glanced around at the surroundings that were Gil'ead, she noticed that all was quiet: no birds were singing, there was no wind and the animals of the area mourned the death o a Dragon. It was not uncommon for such an event to occur, when such a great beast perished, but it was a sight to behold. Never had the elves of the forest seemed so _dull _and _unemotional_. They all wore warm colours such as green, red, yellow, orange, blue and white. Colours that simbolized life, but to any onlooker the inhabitants of the area would seem deprived of life. Not even at her own father's funeral did her people experience this kind of grief.

The princess saw Eragon giving a few elves orders for the final arrangements, she assumed. She gracefully walked over to him and gave him a small smile. The Rider wore a sapphire vest, the same colour as his dragon's scales and a V neck tunic; the collar lined with golden strings. His leggins were black as were his boots; at his side resided, as always, Brisingr.

He gave her a slight bow.

"Arya". She greeted him with another smile.

"Good morning, Eragon" He stared at her, weary from her unsually happy mood. Nonetheless, he returned the smile.

"Would the princess do me the honour of accompanying her to the Lake?" Arya nodded and motioned for him to lead the way. She tried to stay strong for him, if she did not break down, if she did not show signs of weakness - he would think her cold and she most definitely did not want that, so she resorted to being happy. Unsual for her, especially at a funeral, but she would stay strong for him. She would break down later, when she was alone.

Arya was unaware of the fact that the Rider had been thinking the exact same thing. He would only show weakness to Saphira. How would it look if the Head of the New Order of Dragon Riders broke down in front of almost the entire Elven population. They would think him weak and would not deem him worthy of the Dragon Rider title. Saphira snorted at this, but allowed him to continue his charade.

The service was to be held at the lake, where both dragon and Rider had fallen victim to Murtagh and Thorn. As the pair gazed upon the lifeless bodies they almost broke out into tears and Arya could feel wetness starting to form in her eyes. She quickly wiped her eyes on her sleeve, trying to make the action pass unnoticed by Eragon who seemed to be having the same problems as the fair elf.

Saphira was already present, as were Islanzadì and the rest of the elves. They all wanted to pay tribute. As the Queen caught sight of her daughter and Eragon to step forward.

Eragon said a few words in the Ancient Language to magically enhance his voice, so everyone could hear him. Arya stood behind him, trying her best to support him without being too inconspicuous.

"Oromis and Glaedr," he said " were more than just masters to me. They were my friends, fathers and allies. When I first started my training in Ellésmera, I was arrogant. I was convinced that all I needed was a few lessons in swordmanship and magic. I could not believe how wrong I was. Oromis taught me the meaning of patience. Accepting the fact that some things are simply out of my control and reach was a rather difficult lesson for me, but with time I became more humble with my actions. Glaedr taught me the meaning of persistance: simply wanting to achieve a goal was not good enough, he told me I had to show the passion and heart. Two of the most important things a Rider needs to know. Now..I.." he could go on no longer, tears started leaking down from his eyes, causing them to redden. He cleared his throat for one moment before continuing.

"There is no spell, no poem, no painting I could think of that could truly honour Oromis and Glaedr, but I hope that this will do them justice." He moved towards Saphira and retrieved a sword. He unsheathed it to reveal Naegling. Eragon, now stood once more in front of the elves and pushed the sword into the ground. He then started to murmur words in the Ancient Language.

The spectators watched in amazement as diamonds began to erupt from the earth to surround the sword. The front of the diamonds were then shaped into the forms of a dragon and a Rider and had been coloured in gold.

For the next half hour many more people stepped up to reveal objects or pieces that they had created to honour the deceised. Saphira had used her magic to create a mighty statue of Glaedr that would be forever untouched by time and warded from the Empire and Galbatoryx - and a tomb that encased the body of Oromis. It was in many ways similiar to the one she had created for Brom, but this was made of gold, diamonds and rubies. Eragon then inscripted on both statue and tomb:" _Oromis and Glaedr. Two mighty Dragon Riders that will be forever remembered as friends, masters, fathers and scholars. May you now rest in piece_."

After the service was completed, a celebration started. Once the deceised was mourned, the elves celebrating their life and their accomplishments. Arya sat alone on one table, finally able to break down to the tears that had been threating her all day, especially after Eragon's gift. The Rider was finally able to get away from his admirers, apparently no elf now stared at him with hatred, but rather admiration and compassion. He walked over to her and carefully wrapped an arm around her shoulders, trying to confort her as best he could. Arya leaned in and cried into his shoulder, embracing him with her arms. They spent most of the night in that position, telling each other stories about Oromis and Glaedr until they decided to retire. The next morning they would be returning to the Varden.

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><p><strong>So, how badly did I fail? Constructed criticism is always appreciated :) R&amp;R! <strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**First of all I was really surprised to see that most of you somewhat liked the last chapter. I was really not pleased with it :l Anyway here's chapter 10! Two major events happening in this! I was thinking of adding a third, but it would be too much; you'll understand when you read it :D **

**Draco Lucis, Stick-Man should be very, very, very afraid ;) *evil laugh* **

**Before I stop my rambling, I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews, for the alerts and for adding this story to your favourites. Just WOW! **

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

The flight back to Feinster seemed to go by quicker as the trio anxiously wanted to rejoin the Varden. After the funeral and after recovering from the fact that she had, once again, threw herself into Eragon's arms, she contacted Nasuada informing her of their departer the next morning and of their new found hope: the egg. They briefly discussed about a possibly spy, but the Lady of the Varden had no leads.

This had been one of the many topics discussed during the course of their journey; Saphira and Arya both agreed that the spy must be high within the ranks of the rebels if he or she were to gain any information of use, but that would entail searching the minds of over twenty people, all of which seemed trustworthy to Eragon, and he was firmly against it.

_He is young, yet he is old. He is naive, yet he is wise_ thought Arya as the Rider admitted his trust in the Varden. _How can he not see this?_ she added bitterly.

"Eragon, you must see the foolishness in your words. How can you possibly trust politicians? Surely, even after experiencing first-hand with Nasuada, you must at least understand that they only seek power. Who knows what riches and what promises the _King_" spitting the last word with utter disgust, as she regained her breath "has filled his or her mind with. You place your trust in far too many people, Eragon. Mark my words, we are acquainted with this spy."

_Little one, Arya is right. We can not trust anybody but ourselves, Arya and Nasuada_. said Saphira, trying to cool down Eragon's raging temper.

"Eragon," continued Arya, trying to make an impression on him with her words. He had to heed the wisdom, if not in her words in at least his dragon's. "look at Murtagh. He is your brother and yet he does not even trust his own freedom with you. He would rather suffer at Galbatorix's hands than even try to regain his true self!"

As soon as Arya uttered her words, she regretted them. Murtagh was a sore spot for Eragon and he obviously reacted.

"Don't you dare speak to me about _him!_" he yelled. At this point Saphira interveined.

_Enough! Eragon, I am sorry, but Arya is right. Let us not dwell on that traitor Rider and let us focus on the task at hand: Alagaesia_ her words rang through their minds so loudly that the elf even covered her ears, although it was useless.

Silence reigned over the three as no other words were spoken until there came a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the sky.

_Thorn!_ screamed Saphira as she dived to avoid the dragon's massive frame. It was not a clear sky and it looked as if it were about to rain. The dragoness hoped that the clouds would give them enough cover to escape, but unfortunately Thorn came from behind to engage Saphira in an airbourne battle. Arya and Eragon in the meantime had drawn their swords, waiting for Murtagh. The straps, however did not allow them much movement and they could not remove them. Eragon cursed; he should have known that something like this would happen and he foolishly had chosen an unsuitable saddle for battle. The Blue Rider unwrapped Arya's arms from his waist, which had tightned at the moment of the dive, to remove his straps. He carefully sat up, trying to gain some balance as his eyes focused for the first time in months on the Red Rider's appearance.

Murtagh wore a red armour, very similiar to the colour of Thorn's scales. He did not have a helmet and Eragon could easily gaze into the dephts of his black eyes that stared at him and the elf with hatred.

"We meet again, brother! said Murtagh over the roars of the dragons and the thunder that started the heavy flow of rain to pour from the sky. Though his eyes were blurry, Eragon could clearly see a wicked smile etched across his face.

Saphira had managed to turn, despite the red dragon's efforts and was now directly in front of their enemy. The wind was furiously blowing in our heroes direction and Saphira had to stready herself to prevent Arya and Eragon from falling into what was now a massive storm. They could no longer see the trees of the Spine, so she could no longer pinpoint their position.

"Murtagh, " pleaded Eragon "as you said, we are brothers. Let me help you; you know not how it has tortured me to know you were in the grasp of that hateful man. Come back with me to the Varden. Please, let me help you."

"Eragon, time for games is over. He wants you. You and Saphira. You can come quietly and surrender or I will fight you and I will win." replied Murtagh with a smirk.

"With Eldunarì? How many has he given you? Just enough to be worthy of the title of a Rider, or just enough to not appear weak?" said Arya, once she had regained her voice. Until now Murtagh had not even glanced at the Elven princess, deeming her unworthy of his attention. His black eyes pierced hers as he regarded her with the same hatred he did with Eragon.

"Ah yes, Arya Drottingu. Loyal companion to the _Last Rider of Alagaesia_. I'm surprised it took you so long to discover the heart of heart's existence"

Before either Eragon or Arya could even think of a response, Murtagh began to draw Zar'roc from its sheath.

"So, it will come down to this brother? It's a shame that you will not come quietly, I was even thinking of keeping your precious little Arya alive, but now I believe that your time is up. I almost forgot, thank you for retrieving the egg, it saved me the trouble of burning Gil'ead to the ground. "

With a frightning roar, Thorn lunged towards Saphira; his jaws snapping ferociously at the dragoness' neck. As Murtagh was about to take Eragon by surprise, he was intercepted by Arya, who swung her thin blade, effectively blocking his powerful blow.

Eragon was left powerless as he watched Arya duel Murtagh and Saphira engage Thorn. He had never felt so helpless as the slightest movement from his part could unbalance Arya.

He watched in horror as Murtagh took advantage of a blind spot left carelessly by the elf who struggled to block his strikes, and plunged his sword through her stomach. Bloood gushed out from the wound as she fell towards the invisible ground. Eragon let out a scream of pure agony as he watched Arya plunge into the darkness caused from the storm. Murtagh watched the scene with a twinkle of amusement in his eye and evil grin.

"Letta! Letta! Letta!" screamed Eragon in his attempt to break his beloved elf's fall. Energy began to drain from his body as the magic took effect, he prayed to the gods above that she did not die. He let go of the spell, hoping he saved her.

His eyes were once again fixed upon his brother's amused expression. Rage begain to boil in Eragon's blood as he watched Murtagh.

"How does it feel to lose those close to you, Eragon? How does it feel?" yelled Murtagh in an attempt to gain a reaction from an extremely angry Eragon. He had enough.

The Blue Rider lunged towards his brother, thrashing and swinging Brisingr at every opening he could find. Whatever Eldunarì Murtagh possessed greatly increased his strenght and agility, but his movements were still human.

The battle between Riders increased and decreased its tempo, depending mostly on the actions of their dragons. Saphira seemed at an advantage, having more agilitly than the much larger Thorn. She also had more confidence in her airal attacks than Thorn who seemed uncomfortable at most times. She snapped her jaws at his neck, biting through his tough scales and causing blood to pour from his wound. He screamed out in agony.

Murtagh also yelled and attempted to heal his wound, but whenever he did the dragoness simply repeated her action. Saphira had firmly secured the red dragon, preventing him from escaping.

Seeing an opportunity to gain the advantage, Eragon lunged once more for his brother, aiming for his throat. He somewhat succeded by plunging his sword through his shoulder. The force of the blow was so powerful that both Riders were suddenly thrown into mid-air. Eragon watched his brother scream for his dragon as they were falling to their deaths. He was not afraid. If he died, he would make sure that Murtagh died with him.

Out of nowhere came a huge amount of energy that filled Eragon from head to toe. He knew not the source, but he was grateful. The pair were still falling when they finally caught sight of the ground that was quickly approaching.

Murtagh realizing that this would be his last fight said "I'm sorry, brother." Eragon murmured one word in the Ancient Language "Jierda" and with a crack he broke the Red Rider's neck.

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><p>Arya watched helplessly as she watched the battle in the sky. As she saw her beloved Rider fall she screamed "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!". The princess tried to stand up, but pain coursed through her body as her would impeded her from doing so. She had not the strength to heal it.<p>

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><p>Saphira had since released her grip on Thorn's neck to save her Rider. She flapped her wings faster and faster, trying to gain more speed. She reached him just in time to grab him from the ground. The dragoness landed roughly in the Spine, snapping like twigs several trees as her body crashed. Thorn was not so fortunate, he slammed into the ground with such force that it shook the whole forest. And so ended the lives of Murtagh Morzansson and Thorn.<p>

Eragon stumbled as he tried to regain his balance; the rain still poured and his vision was blurry as he searched for Arya. Saphira had injured left leg, but other than that just a few scratches.

Arya lay against a tree, trying to stop the bleeding with her tunic. She had lost a lot of blood and her will to fight was fading; before she fell unconscious she saw a figure approach her and beg her to stay with him. He shook her shoulders violently, trying to get her to stay awake.

"Arya.. Arya, I love you. Stay with me" he pleaded with tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Eragon.. I.. I" she said in a cracked voice that was barely audible.

With that, Arya Drottingu knew no more.

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><p>"What do you mean he's dead? He had ten Eldunarì with him, two of which are extremely powerful!" yelled the King to a figure who stood in the dark, allowing the shadows to mask his face.<p>

"My King, he is nothing but a farm boy and a disgrace to the Riders. I am sure that he shall perish before he will even reache the great walls of Uru'baen." said the figure in a surprisingly calm voice.

"You are right.. Faolin."

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><p><strong>How about that, huh? :D Faolin is going to play a major part in this story, so watch out for him. I'm sorry about Murtagh, but don't worry you haven't seen the last of him *hint, hint* Tell me what you think, people! R&amp;R!<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Here I am again with a brand new chapter! I couldn't let Arya, Eragon and Saphira just fly back to Feinster without a bit of trouble and as most have you have guessed I obviously did not kill off Arya. Murtagh and Thorn, however, are an entirely different matter. I will keep my promise though, you haven't seen the last of them :) **

**So, what do you guys think about Faolin being alive? I wonder what Arya might think when she finds out he's alive mmmh this is going to be interesting :D Anyway, thank you all for the reviews and here's chapter 11! R&R! **

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><p>Chapter 11<p>

Arya awoke in a unfamiliar room and in a unfamiliar bed. She turned her head to find no other than the blue Rider asleep in a chair beside her. He looked so peaceful as the troubles of the world could not disturb him in his dreams. The elf slowly began to remember the events before she lost consciousness.

_Murtagh.. Eragon.. the fight.. Saphira.. Thorn.. Eragon_.

"Eragon!" she breathed.

She frantically started to search for any sign that he was hurt; when she found none she let out a sigh of relief. Arya attepted to sit up, but a sharp pain manifested itself in her lower abdomen, preventing her from moving. _Barzul! _she cursed.

Unable to make any kind of movement without injuring herself, she settled with watching Eragon sleep. It a calming and soothing effect on her as she quietly watched her beloved Rider dream.

His final words were what she remembered with most clarity and she cherished them.

_"Arya... Arya. I love you. Stay with me." he pleaded with tears flowing down his cheeks._

_"Eragon..I..I.." she said in a cracked voice tha was barely audible_.

She had been so close to admitting her true feelings for him and now they were both stuck in the same awkwardness as the week before. Arya knew that Eragon would not jeopardize their friendship by renewing his sweet words, as he vowed not to.

The elf noticed a change in the Rider's breathing, meaning he was beginning to awake. She did not know what to do: should she stay awake and confront him or feign to be asleep and avoid the conversation altogether. _I will not be a coward _she promised herself. Eragon stirred until he finally opened his eyes. He was a complete wreck: there were deep shadows under his eyes and he looked like he had not slept for days. The first thing he saw was a stunningly beautiful elf staring at him with two glowing emerald orbs.

"Um..Arya, I was just.." he said, fumbling with his words, trying to form a coherent sentence.

"It is quite alright, Eragon. I was merely going to inquire after your health." she said while gracing him with a small smile. It was short lived, however, as another wave of pain shook her body. The concern was evident in his face.

"I am fine.. just tired." she said, answering the unspoken question.

As she glanced once more around the room, she noticed something was missing. The egg!

"The egg! Eragon, where is the egg? It was with Saphira, but then she.. How is Saphira?" she asked in a sudden panic. All she remembered was Saphira trying to reach Eragon before he hit the ground. Arya tried to get out of the bed, but as soon as her feet touched the cold marble floor, she collapsed into Eragon's arms who was trying to steady her. He sat her back down on the bed, making sure that she did not attempt to run.

"Arya, calm down. Everything is fine. Saphira is alright; a few scratches, but they're nothing too serious. The egg is safely stored in my room, guarded by wards." he said while reaching out to gently rub his hand down her arms.

"Everything is fine." he repeated.

"What happened after I.. lost consciousness?" she was about to say ''almost died", but then decided to spare him at least that.

Eragon visibly cringed and a frown appeared on his face. "After you collapsed, I carried you over to Saphira. But she was in no condition to fly... I didn't know how far away we were from Feinster when Murtagh and Thorn showed." he said, as tears started to form in his eyes.

"We weren't that far, fortunately" he continued "so I carried you back to Feinster, where I informed Nasuada and Blodgharm on what had happened. Saphira joined me later that day after she had fully regained her strength. You had lost a lot of blood and... I didn't think you would make, but you did."

"What of Murtagh and Thorn?" she asked somberly.

"I..killed Murtagh. Thorn fell to his death whilst trying to save him." he replied sadly. "He was carrying ten Eldunarì with him."

Shock, amazement and disbelief took over the princess as she replayed Eragon's last statement in her mind. "You.. killed him when.." she did not even complete her sentence, but Eragon nodded.

"How?" she breathed.

_It was I, Drottingu. I sensed Eragon-finiarel's distress and it awoke me. My rage towards the hatchlings that killed Oromis overwhelmed me and I managed to send the Shadeslayer enough energy to overpower the Red Rider. I do believe I owe you my congratulations, Drottingu as you have accomplished the same feat; you are just like your father. I have mourned my Rider long enough and now I will assist you in training the new Rider whoever he or she shall be_.

Just as quickly as he entered, Glaedr withdrawed from their minds and retreated to his solitude.

"Eragon, how long have I been unconscious?" asked Arya, changing the subject. She sensed that Eragon did no longer want to speak of the deaths of his brother and his dragon.

"Six days. You were in the same state as the first time we met, except that I could not enter your mind." he replied "I do not know why that happened though." he added, noticing the confused expression on her lovely face.

"I wish to return to my tent, I have to contact my mother and inform her that I am well." she said after a few minutes. Anticipating his refusal, she continued "I have several duties that require my attention and as you can see I am awake and well. Eragon, what do you wish to do about the egg? You are the Lead Rider and I must know what course of action you wish to take."

Her question took him by surprise. "For the time being, I want you to rest." he said with a grin "and then, once I have assessed you welfare, you may resume your duty as egg-carrier." His grin disappeared when he caught sight of her death glare.

"Eragon, I am not some human woman that requires your every attention. I am quite capable of looking after myself!" she growled.

"I know, Arya. Believe me, I know. I care about you and I just wish you well." he said quietly, trying not to upset her further. Seeing acceptance in her eyes, he helped her stand despite her best efforts to thwart him from doing so.

He walked to his room where the egg lay safely guarded on a table. It was surrounded, from Arya managed to gather as several very powerful wards. Eragon released them and cast a spell to prevent unwanted listeners from eavesdropping.

Arya continued to feel pain in her body whenever she moved, but bravely pulled through as she walked as carefully as possible towards the egg. She caressed the smooth edges with her soft fingertips.

A crack started to appear upon its surface and with a surge of green magic, it shattered to reveal a small emerald dragon hatchling.

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><p><strong>And we have the green Rider! I was planning on making him hatch during the flight and then he uses his dragon magic to save Arya, but then I thought it would be too much to have all that happening in one chapter. <strong>

**I'm just going to say that Arya is going to give Eragon hell in the next chapter and a very unlikeable character returns. And maybe, just maybe I'll give you a few hints to the infamous spy's identity ;) **

**R&R!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here I am again, ready to torture you :D I decided to split this mainly because I'm evil and I like to leave you hanging. )**

**How many of you have seen or are going to see Harry Potter? I'm going to tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it, although I hate voice actors, especially Italian ones. I'll be thankful when the dvd's out and I don't have to endure the badly translated jokes. **

**Anyway, I hope you like the next chapter like the last one. R&R!**

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

Arya was completely and utterly bewildered as she glanced down at the little green dragon whose head was tilted to one side and was staring straight at her with two bright yellow eyes.

"Touch him." said a voice from the back of the room. She had forgotten she was not alone, but she recognized the voice immediately. Her gaze switched from the curious little hatchling to Eragon. As the Blue Rider moved closer to Arya, already anticipating what was about to come, the young dragon growled menacingly at him. He clearly did not want anybody near his Rider. It sounded more like a squeak however than an actual growl and the elf let out a small laugh.

Their new hope once again fixed his eyes on Arya, entranced by the sound of her laughter. He cautiously took a few steps towards her and the princess reached out to to him with a shaky right hand.

As soon as they came in contact with each other, unbelievable pain coursed through her body and before she knew what was happening she collapsed into Eragon's arms, who was already prepared for such an event and lay her on the bed. The pain, eventually, began to dissipate, lingering only in the palm of her right hand.

Arya awoke a few minutes later and not to her amusement found herself for the second time in one day in a unfamiliar bed. She looket at her palm, seeing for the first time her gedwey ignasia. _I am a Dragon Rider_ she thought.

Delight seemed to emanate from the green dragon, who was still staring at her. She tentatively reached out again to stroke him, wary that maybe she would be struck by the pain again. That was definitely something they failed to mention during the initiation. During one of her many journeys carrying Saphira's egg, she had watched many ceremonies where both humans and elves alike would step up and touch the egg, but not once had she seen with her own eyes a dragon egg actually hatch, except for now of course. _My dragon_.

Arya noticed that the hatchling was particularly fond of being scratched behind the ears and often let out squeals of happyness, causing laughter from both Eragon and Arya. As she continued to play with him, a new feeling crept into the back of her mind._ Hunger_. She sighed. He was hungry.

"Eragon, do you have any meat?" It was silly question to ask really, for she knew that Eragon only ate fruits and vedgetables, but maybe he had some stored for Saphira. _Saphira_. She had completely forgotten about the sapphire dragon, and she wondered what she would think of this.

"No, but I have already asked Saphria if she would hunt a few rabbits for him. She's anxious to meet the little one." he said with a smile.

"I never expected it to be this easy. I carried Saphira's egg for twenty years without ever encoutering its Rider and now after not even a week we discover this little one's Rider." she said, giving her dragon an affectionate smile as she picked him up and placed him in her lap. He seemed to appreciate this, as he could now keep an eye on Eragon who he did not seem to trust yet. Eragon let out a small chuckle.

"He is beautiful. You might want to create a fairth of him, he will not stay small for long." she thought of Saphira and how much she had grown in a matter of weeks. "Have you thought of a name yet? Well, names really. I had quite a few in mind for Saphira, but she turned them all down. I'm ashamed to admit that I did not know she was female." This last confession caused Arya to laugh again. Eragon blushed, but was rather pleased with himself that he said something that made Arya laugh, even if it was at his own expense. He vowed he would make her laugh more as he loved how the simple action of laughing triggered a lovely response in her face. She seemed lighter when either she smiled or laughed, playful even.

Arya was unsure whether she was ready to announce her becoming a Rider to the Varden; she saw all the attention they gave Eragon when he simpy walked through the tents and she did not want it. Eragon agreed that it was best to wait, and to seek out Nasuada before making any decisions.

As the dragon was small, she managed to hide him in her bag as she and the Blue Rider walked out of Eragon's room to find Saphira. Arya firmly told him that he was not to make his presence known; Eragon explained that he was not yet capable of understanding words, but he would understand the Ancient Language to some extent.

They found the sapphire dragon in a small clearing. She was clearly enjoying her meal. Arya's dragon was now perched on her shoulder as he took in his surroundings; he recognized Saphira from an image Arya had sent him where she stated that she was a friend. He jumped off and closed the distance between himself and the older dragon.

_A name_. _I need a name that is worthy of him._ she thought.

Once he had finished eating and had played for quite a while on Saphira's back as the latter hummed in amusement, he sat across from Arya and Eragon who he still glared at.

"He will know what his name is. All you have to do is come up with a few examples." he said, a grin starting to appear. "At least you know he is male." he added. Arya chuckled.

She easily found his presence in the back of her mind. _How about Bid'Daum? _she aksed as it was the first male name that popped into her head. He shook his little head. _This is going to be a long night _thought Arya.

_Fundor? _

_Iormungr? _

_Glaedr? _

_Vanilor?_

Eventually she had run out of dragon names and she even sought Eragon's help, but he could not think of any other. She had even resorted to a few words in the Ancient Language, but nothings seemed to spark the interest of the young dragon. She was about to give up when she finally found one worthy of him.

_Eridor?_ The little dragon nodded and squeaked enthusiastically.

_Eridor_ hummed Saphira. _A fitting name_.

The next day Eragon, Arya, Eridor and Saphira went to speak to Nasuada, to announce that the egg had hatched. Her pavillon was in the same location as last time, so it was not difficult to locate. No one seemed to notice anything suspicious about them as they walked quietly to see the Lady of the Varden.

"Eragon! Arya! Saphira! It is truly good to see you again. I trust that you are in good health after the.. accident?" Arya nodded and glanced in Eragon's direction.

"My Lady, I have very good news." he said

"And what might that be?"

"We have found the new Rider" he announced with a huge grin. Nasuada gasped.

"And who.." she stopped, noticing the smirk that Arya held. "You..?" Arya nodded again.

"This is a most joyous occasion! Two Riders! Thank the Gods!" Arya reached into her bag and retrieved Eridor, who glided to her shoulder to look at the new figure in front of him. He seemed to be delighted with all the attention and praise he received.

"Ah Eragon! Trianna mentioned at the last council meeting that she needed your advice on something regarding the Empire's soldiers. I suggest you go see her." With a nod, Eragon exited the tent leaving Arya alone to speak to Nasuada and Saphira who did not deem the witch worthy enough to be in her company. A comment which she referred only to Arya.

They talked briefly about any news regarding the spy and the Varden's preparations for the siege of Belatona, that was little more than two weeks away. They had decided that for now it was best to keep Eridor's existence a secret as it would only endager his and Arya's life as he was not old enough to protect himself and until he had grown he would stay in Arya's bag. She definitely did not want him to be left alone in her room in the castle.

She ventured out to find Eragon. She wanted to know what course of action he would take regarding her training; the elf did not deem it necessary to take Eridor with her, so she left him in Saphira's care, who was more than happy to look after the hatchling. Arya was surprised, however, at her reluctance to do so. Merely three hours had passed since he had hatched, but she already was very affectionate of him.

Trianna's tent was not far and if she arrived early enough, she might even spare Eragon the torture of having to endure the witche's company. She saw Angela and talked with her for a few moments until she abruptly left, claiming for an animal known only to her. i_She really is mad/i_.

She reached the tent and knocked on the outside flap. When no response came, she tentatively looked inside and what she saw shook Arya to her very core.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? I know I promised you Arya having a go at Eragon, but that's for the next chapter that's most definitely going to have major drama. Please tell me what you think and what you think I might have done wrong. R&amp;R!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Back again with a new chapter that honestly, has more drama than Grey's Anatomy lol Anyway, I promised you a ExA fight and here it is! **

**Have you guys seen the new Harry Potter movie? I saw it Friday and I absolutely loved it! As soon as it finished I wanted to watch it again, even in Italian, which, coming from me is certainly saying something! R&R, guys! **

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><p>Chapter 13<p>

Arya watched in utter disgust as Eragon pressed his lips and body to Trianna's. He seemed just as eager as she, to her upmost disappointment. From the moment of his arrival in the Varden, Arya always knew that the witch, along with most of the women shared a common infatuation. It was nothing more than lust and attraction to the power that the young boy, nay man, held upon Alagaesia.

They knew nothing of his true character and that was probably what upset the elf the most: the fact that he would willingly give up his beliefs for a mere kiss. The pair did not seem to notice Arya's presence, nor did they give any sign of stopping what they were doing. _I cannot believe this_.

The elf was now faced with two choices. either interrupt them and berate Eragon for not seeing the foolishness of his actions and for not seeing that Trianna held not real interest in him, if not for his position of power. But then again, how could she in good conscience deny him a few moments of tranquility. His actions may have aged him beyond his years, but he was still an eighteen year old boy, prone to the kind of behaviour he was now exibiting. He was forced to grow up, for the sake of the world; a world that had placed an unbelievably heavy burden upon upon his shoulders.

Her other choice would be to simply ignore the couple and ignore the sharp pang of jealosy that began to course through her the moment she saw their locked lips. Could she manage to continue their already strained relationship? For the sake of the world, she hoped she could.

Deciding it would be best to leave, lest she threaten Trianna in a strictly unladylike manner. _That would be a sight to see _she mused. She left the couple alone to go and retrieve Eridor from Saphira. Arya hoped that the dragoness was clueless to the events happening in the tent.

Dusk was fast approaching as the elf glided through the tents gracefully, avoiding painful eye contact with the men and women, searching for her Eridor, her other half. It still seemed strange to her that she was now part of an ancient order, sworn to protect every race in Alagaesia.

Arya spotted the two dragons in the same clearing as beore, clearly enjoying the last few minutes in the sun. As soon as the little emerald dragon caught sight of his Rider, he jumped of Saphira's back and gleefully ran towards Arya.

Eridor squeaked in delight at seeing her again. She rubbed his belly affectionately, equally happy to see him.

_He is quite the adventurer_ said Saphira _He decided that he wanted to climb a tree, but unfortunately he did not know how to get down_ she added with a chuckle. Arya smiled a little.

_Thank you for watching him_ she replied.

_It was no trouble, Emerald-Eyes. It was my pleasure to watch over such a beautiful hatchling. I predict he shall be a mighty warrior. _

_Please tell Eragon that I wish to speak to him when he returns_. That was a definitely a conversation she wished to avoid, however that option was not available.

_Were you just speaking with him a few minutes ago? _asked Saphira, confusion evident in her voice. _He has blocked me from his mind and I just assumed he was talking to you, Drottingu. _

_Nay, he was.. otherwise preoccupied. _It was hard not to miss the sadness, etched across her beautiful face as she said this.

With that she picked up her dragon and left a rather puzzled dragon to ponder her final words. Before exiting the small forest, Arya made sure there was no one in the close vicinity. She did not want anyone to discover Eridor's existence just yet.

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><p>Arya lay on her bed for what seemed like hours, simply talking to the curious hatcling who seemed to take her every word to heart, even though he could not fully understand her. She taught him words, matching each one with an image. He could now say her name as well as Eragon's, Saphira's and Nasuada's. When she heard a noise outside her tent, Arya drew her sword, ready to protect the little dragon who was now perched on her shoulder, growling or squeaking at the intruder.<p>

"Arya.. It's Eragon." said a quiet voice. She recognized his face and immediately put away her Elven blade. He stared at her, trying to guess the reason for her wanting to speak with him.

"Eragon, do you know what you have done?" she asked cooly. The blue Rider was initially shocked by her cold demeanor, but quickly recovered.

"I.." he couldn't even continue, as she shot him an icy glare.

"Do you have any idea what your actions would do to the Varden if they have.. unpredicted consequences?" she yelled. "Not only is your reputation at stake as a vassal to Nasuada, but mine as well!"

Eragon still had no idea what she was talking about. "Have you no respect?" she continued. "You should know that Trianna is nothing more than a power-seeking witch, that holds no real interest in you!" Eragon sighed.

"Yes, and I'm sure you do." he spat. "Does anyone have any real interest in me? Everyone here expects me to defeat Galbatorix, the only person who actually seems to care for me is Saphira!"

"So, I am to assume that you simply do not care to be used and you are forgetting your duty to Alagaesia, then? You are a Dragon Rider, but at the moment all I see is a boy who only cares about himself!"

"You forget your place! I have been forced to grow up and watch as the Empire killed my father and forced my brother into slavery. You know nothing of pain!" As soon as his final words escaped his lips, he regretted them.

_Father, Faolin, Mother_. All the faces of the people she lost to the war flashed through her mind.

"You forget who you are speaking to, Shurtugal. I will not stand for such impertinance. Leave." she said in a sharp voice. _If looks could kill_.. thought Eragon.

Eragon left somewhat dumbfounded. What did he say? Sudden realization hit him as he carefully played back his words. _What have I done? _

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><p><strong>Indeed, what has Eragon done? Idiot.. <strong>

**A little warning: over the next few weeks I've got more friends from England coming over for a holiday and it's going to be more difficult for me to keep up with my updates. I'll try my best to write in the evenings, but I can't make promises D: **

**One more thing, I don't whether to post a chapter where Arya has a go at Trianna. I already have a draft for it, but I don't know.. What do you guys think? Is it a pointless idea or do you want me to post it? R&R!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ok, before I officially leave you for the next few weeks, i wanted to leave you with a present. That's right! A brand new chapter! And as most of you have requested, I uploaded this after editing it of course. Since I won't be able to update as frequently as I'd like I've left you a surprise ;) **

**Moving on, I'd like to address the anonymous reviews. It is not my intention to demean Eragon's character, nor do I have any intention of doing so. They are both proud and stubborn people, but eventually one will apologize to the other. And of course he has pride, for crying out loud! He walked out on a yelling Arya! Mind you I wouldn't do that, I pictured her rather scary while I was writing that lol **

**Next one. I believe Arya is in love with Eragon even in the actual books, she either hasn't figured it out yet or she's waiting for the end of the war. Either way, I think they're going to end up together. Anyway Arya, like everyone else has emotions and is it that hard to believe that once in a while it is possible for her to act, well human? I mean she's lived with them for seventy years. So, she's jealous. **

**I'm done rambling. Enjoy the next chapter! And please review guys! Let's see if we can get to 50! **

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><p>Chapter 14<p>

_Insufferable, impertinent, arrogant, stupid boy. _Such an offence was not to be tolerated by an elf, much less the Elven princess. How dare he offend her in such a proposterous manner? It was unheard of.

Eragon had left the tent a few minutes earlier, storming off in anger, but still Arya noticed with her ever so attentive emerald eyes that he held a peculiar expression on his face. His chocolate brown eyes seemed somewhat distant. It was not until she had vented out her own rage that she herself remembered.

_No matter where his thoughts lay at the time. I shall not stand for such an affront!_ How dare he say that she knew nothing of pain! Once again memories swarmed through her mind. _Gil'ead, Durza, Faolin, Evandar and even Islanzadi_.

Arya suddenly sensed a soothing presence in her mind, calming her.

_Arya! _said a small voice. She looked around, searching for the source of the sound, but found no one except for her little Eridor. He sat on her cot, eyeing her with two very bright yellow eyes that shone even in the dim light of the flame of a candle.

Her anger was soon forgotten, replaced by affection for the young hatchling who was still staring at her with concern.

"I'm quite fine, little one. Thank you" she said with a small smile, while stroking him gently behind his ears. Apparently he enjoyed the attention that his Rider was showing him as he glowed with all the exuberance and happyness of a young being.

As the elf was falling asleep, she vaguely wondered whether Saphira would consent to watching Eridor the morrow. There was a certain witch that required her immediate attentoin. Of course their little chat would not bring any harm to the human spellcaster, but Eridor seemed very aware of the fact that Arya would engage her in combat if Trianna offended her in any way, awakening her fiery temper.

Arya now understood Eragon's position more clearly and more importantly she realized her mistake. She marvelled at how observant the little dragon was, even at his young age; he pointed out the mistakes in her reasoning and helped her overcome her pride to put her relationship with Eragon first. Afterall he was her ebrithil now.

She yelled at Eragon because of her own jelous reaction. She held no true claim to him and if she had to be perfectly honest with herself it was no business of hers who the Blue Rider kissed, even if it was Trianna. The princess fell asleep thinking of ways to apologize to him.

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><p>Arya awoke bright and early the next morning, ready to face Trianna. The sun had not yet risen, but she could tell that sunrise was fast approaching. There was not much movent in the Varden camp: just a few soldiers performing their usual patrols of the area, scouting for enemy troups. They seemed much more at ease as the news of the death of the Red Rider had reached the people, earning more praise for both Eragon and Arya. But apparently they always seemed to forget that Saphira plays as much a part as Eragon in all the feats they accomplish; very unwise to upset a dragon, but the dragoness did not seem to mind the lack of attention for once.<p>

Deciding it would be best to wait a little longer, she walked through the camp, taking the long route to the witch's tent. It was rather unfortunate, however, that she ran into no other than the herbalist, Angela. As always she was accompanied by the werecat Solembum as she happily skipped through the dirt. Arya did not want to see her; her conversations with Angela always left her with a headache or with some brand new information that she could not reveal to anyone. Of course Eridor was the exception to that rule, as she could not hide anything from him.

"Good morning, Arya" she said with a bright smile as she approached the elf. Solembum walked more slowly behind her. Curiously enough, his eyes were emerald this time.

"Angela" said Arya stiffly. She really was not in the mood for the fortune teller.

"And what may I ask is a princess, a Shadeslayer AND a Shurt'ugal such as yourself doing out his early in the morning?" asked Angela with a smirk.

"No need to answer, my dear. I know what you are about to do and I know what shall be the next words that escape your lips. No need, no need." There was absolutely no possible way that Angela could have stumbled upon Eridor. Only Eragon, Saphira, Nasuada and herself knew of his existence.

Angela answered Arya's questioning look with a wide grin.

"Now before I leave on my excursion, I believe I ought to give you this." said the witch, while handing a small waterskin to the elf. She opened it and smelled its contents; it was awful.

"What in Alagaesia is this?" asked Arya.

"It is for that blockhead of a Rider. Quite the escapade last night, eh? You cannot honestly think that he would willingly kiss that wench, can you? Back to business, give that to the blockhead when you see him and it should ware off any effects of whatever potion Trianna gave him" With a wink, went back to skipping towards her previous destination.

"And watch out for red-eyed rabbits" called Angela as she disappeared. Arya simply shook her head, once again wondering how in Alagaesia did the Varden come across such a peculiar being.

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><p>The sun quietly rose, to signify the dawning of a brand new day. Arya found Trianna's tent quite easily as it held the symbol of the Du Vrangr Gata on all three sides. She lightly tapped on a wooden plank, attached to the front flap.<p>

The elf was granted permission to enter with a simple "Enter". The tent was purple and was throughly decorated from head to toe in. But for the most part on every piece of furniture there were mountains and mountains of scrolls. The witch sat a table with her head in her left hand. She was wearing a purple dress with a V neck that plunged dangerously low. Her dark brown wavy hair lay untamed upon her shoulders.

"Trianna" greeted Arya cooly.

"Ah! Shadeslayer! What a pleasant surprise! To what do i owe the pleasure of your company this morning?" said Trianna with a grin. She knew exactly why the elf was there.

"I have no time for your false pleasantries. You are quite aware of my reasons for being here." replied Arya, already starting to lose her already worn out patience.

"On the contrary! I am unaware of the circumstances that brought you here to my humble domain, Shadeslayer."

"Enough! Your acquaitance with the Rider has far exceded the limits of mere friendship, Trianna. Is he _aware_ of the fact that he is under a spell?" Arya was beginning to enjoy herself, but of course it had nothing to do with the expression on the witches face.

"And who are you? Mother-elf? The Rider is perfectly capable of making his own decisions and if he has chosen _me_ over _you_, there is obviously a reason" she answered with a sneer.

"You forget who you are speaking to. You do not wish to make an elf your enemy, especially one whose magical abilities far exceed your own. Choose your next words carefully, _seithr._"

"It is you who should be on your guard, _elf_. He shall be _mine _and there is nothing you can do to stop me!." shrieked the witch.

"Are you suggesting that I am unable to make my own choices, then?" said a voice that came from behind. It was Eragon. Trianna's demeanor quickly shifted to seductive.

"Of course you are, Shadeslayer. I was merely pointing out to the _elf_ that you are quite capable of chosing for youself. I do not know what people find so mesmerizing about the so called _fair_ folk. There is nothing _fair _about them." she purred as she walked towards him, swaying her hips. Arya looked at her with distate. The same repulsion was on Eragon's face. Apparently the potion she had given him had worn off.

Another offence to her people and Arya was sure to to slit her throat and Eragon would not be able to stop her. He looked at her with both amusement and comprehension in his eyes.

"Trianna, I am quite able to choose for my self, but unfortunately I do not love you, nor could I ever love you. I love another." he shot a quick glance in Arya's direction, but it was an action visible only to those possessing elf-like qualitles. Strangely enough though, the witch seemed to notice it.

"You love _her_, do you not? she yelled. The situation was getting way out of hand. Trianna was dangerously hovering towards a dagger on the table. She was quicker than the Riders expected as the witch picked up the dagger and thrashed at Arya. Thankfully, Arya managed to get out of the way, avoiding for the second time in two weeks, death.

"You shall be mine, Eragon Shadeslayer" she said in a malignant voice. "The King shall destroy the Varden and all those who support the filthy rebels, but you shall be mine." she glanced at Arya. "He has promised me that you shall die a most painful death for all the pain you have caused his majesty,_ Drottingu!_"

Trianna muttered a few words in the Ancient Language and suddenly she disappeared.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? I know you must hate me for leaving you like this, but unfortunately I love cliff hangers! You've definitely not seen the last of Trianna ;) <strong>

**I'll try my best to get a few updates in over the next few weeks, but as I've said in the previous A/N in the previous chapter, I really don't know if I'll have the time. R&R!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi guys! How are you all doing? I'm a bit disappointed I couldn't update sooner, but an eight year old and a four year old kept me well occupied this week. At this point I'm glad I have only one brother who is only two years younger than me... Anyway, tonight the second wave of guests arrive (ç_ç) and someone really should tell me how I can possibly entertain a thirteen year old in a town where there's virtually nothing to do. **

**Back to the story. Now I left you with Trianna being the spy and swearing to get her revenge on Arya uuuh Badass. To keep you company, I've left another surprise for you as I already stated in the A/N in chapter 14 that updates wouldn't be frequent over the next few weeks. **

**Thank you for all the reviews, alerts and for adding this to your favourites. I was shocked at the amount of emails, when I logged in today. **

**To the anonymous reviewer who pointed out the headband thing: a bit of imagination? If the elves can magically edit their clothes, I'm pretty sure they can magically enhance the size of a headband _**

**R&R! **

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><p>Chapter 15<p>

Arya and Eragon both stared blankly at the vacated spot where once stood the sorceress known as Trianna. She had just confessed to being the spy that was feeding information to the tyrant king Galbatorix and the more Arya thought about it, the more it made sense. The witch was one of Nasuada's personal advisors, nobody would have suspected her.

Power wasn't her only ambition. Since the day of Eragon's arrival in the Varden, Trianna had been infuatuated with the young Rider. But what the elf should have realized is that he would never willingly entertain her feelings in such a manner, especially when he had just declared his feelings for the Elven princess. Apparently even the most stoic of elves were prone to petty human emotions, such as jealousy.

Time passed rather quietly and slowly as the Riders processed the new information.

Eragon's expression darkened and it clearly did not bode well with his always so bright and juvial brown eyes. He left the tent without as much as a word, leaving behind a bewildered elf. Sensing that it was not the best time to apologize for her actions, Arya also left to inform Nasuada of current events.

Nasuada sat in her tent, looking over never ending scrolls. The Belatona siege was a few days away and strategies needed to be prepared, evacuation for citizens who would willingly surrender needed to be in order. A guard awoke her from her daze.

"My Lady" he said with a bow. "Arya Shadeslayer wishes to see you."

"Ah yes. Please send her in." It was of the upmost importance to coordinate with the elves and as ambassador and Shurt'ugal Arya needed to approve of the new strategies.

Arya confidently walked in and with a slight bow, greeted the leader of the Varden. "My Lady, there have been some.. developments regarding the spy." Nasuada quietly listened to her tale, taking in the new information. Arya appropriately left out her argument with the Blue Rider.

"Gods above! Trianna was the spy? This is indeed grievous news." said Nasuada after a few minutes.

"Indeed. We must treat this new information with caution; it would cause an uproar among those in the Council, not to mention the Du Vrangr Gata."

"I was meaning to call you here along with Eragon because I have a mission for the both of you. Since the deaths of Murtagh and Thorn I believe that Belatona will not put up much a fight, considering that the King has sent no reinforcements to the city. " she paused for a moment before continuing "I need the two of you to go on a scouting mission to Helgrind."

Arya nodded, incouraging her to continue. "As we both know, Islanzadì is sending her troops to Dras Leona as will we once we have secured Belatona. However, I am concerned about Helgrind. Various reports state there have been sightings of strange creatures making their way to the prison. I need the both of you to inquire into what these creatures might be, if they exist at all, and to free the prisoners. We have lost countless soldiers and good men to that mountain and I should like to see them safely returned to their families."

"Very well, My Lady. I shall inform Eragon and we shall depart in the morning." With that Arya left the tent.

_Arya?_ said a little voice in her mind.

_Little one_ replied the elf affectionately. It truly was amazing the bond young Eridor and Arya shared after only a day. _Saphira?_ asked the princess, sending him a mental picture of the dragoness. She felt it would be safer to approach the sapphire dragon begore speaking to her rider. As the young hatchling could still only communicate by mental images, he sent her the location of the whereabouts of the dragoness. Apparently they were both in the clearing of the day before.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was rather uneventful for both the elf and her dragon. After informing Saphira and Eragon of their new mission, both dragon and Rider retired to their tent to bond. Eridor was excitedly explaining to Arya how Saphira had shown him to hunt small wild animals such as rabbits, much to the dismay of the elf who had to endure rather vivid images of their deaths, but still Arya was quite content listening and observing <em>her<em> dragon.

She taught him more words, what she knew of dragon lore and her life in Ellesméra.

* * *

><p>In the dark castle of Uru'baen, an elf was walking cautiosly towards the throne room. Upon hearing of the discovery of the spy, the King had been furious. In his wrath, he had killed over twenty servants with his black sword.<p>

The elf was granted entrance into the huge hall, decorated with few fairths of the King dawned in his black as night armour. Other than his two guards, only one other individual stood in the room: the witch. She had cost them information of great value by letting herself be discovered by the farm boy and the princess and frankly he was surprised the King had let her live this long.

"Ah Faolin. Come join us" said a most unpleasant voice. He walked the remaining distance, joining the witch in front of the great throne. "I have a mission for you." he said with a evil grin. Faolin quickly glanced at the witch beside him, who was shaking with fright. _Rightly so _he thought. He once again returned his gaze to the King.

"What will you have me do, Your Majesty." he said calmly.

"You are to take this wench" said the King, waving his hand at Trianna " to Helgrind and awate the two Riders. Fortunately _this_ witch was not my only spy."

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><p><strong>I know. Not a very long chapter, but still at least it's something. What will Arya and Eragon do? Mmh... Will Arya meet Faolin? Oooh that would be good. And most importantly: what will happen in Helgrind? ;) <strong>

**Once again thank you for all the reviews, alerts and for adding this to your favourites list. I really do appreciate all the kind words you've said. R&R!**


	16. AN

**Hi guys! I know I've not been updating much lately, but as I've already explained I've had friends over that I haven't seen in a long time. Anyway I'm really sorry to have to say this, but my laptop's bust and according to the technician here there's no way of recovering the data on it.**

**But on the brightside my birthday is coming up, I mean it's literally around the corner and my parents said they might get me a new one. So in the meantime just hang tight, I'll be uploading something from my mum's computer.**

**Once again really really sorry guys, see you soon. **

**Two random questions: did any of you guys get into Pottermore? I got my second email confermation the other day and I'm chuffed to bits :D And if they re-did the Eragon movie, would you rather Eragon be played again by Ed Speelers or would you have someone else replace him? I've always thought Alex Pettyfer would be perfect for the role. **

**La5021**


	17. AN 2

_Unfortunately this is not a brand new chapter. Not yet anyway. As stated in the previous A/N my laptop broke and I wrote that I wouldn't be able to update._

_The good news is that I got a brand new one yesterday and I'm thrilled to say the least, but I'm having problems with the story *sigh* I know this isn't exactly what you want to hear. I actually had another five chapters written, typed and edited, ready to be published, but over the past month I've been re-reading my notes and I've noticed that I've left some huge plot holes, not to mention the fact that I've left out some characters that initially I thought crucial to the story._

_Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I'm open to suggestions, I need you to help me out 'cause I'm seriously lost._

_But, during the last month, I've not been entirely without my favourite characters. I've been writing a one-shot that, if all goes as planned, is set after my version of Inheritance. If you want I'll post it, I just have to type it._

_Happy September 1st and good luck to all those who have already gone back to school *evil laugh* I don't go back to that dreaded high school until mid-September. _


	18. Chapter 16

**Ah! I'm back with a veeery short chapter unfortunately... I finally got over my writer's block, 'cause I've finally decided what I wanted to do with the plot and the plot holes that have been bugging me for the past two months. I probably could have updated sooner, but I've been back at school *sigh* and it's already demanded a LOT of my time. My Italian's lacking as well, I couldn't even remember how to write in Italian the other day and it's really really annoying and frustrating. **

**Anyway, I'm glad you liked the one-shot 'cause I really enjoyed writing it. I might write another one, when I have time of course. I'm rambling again :/ **

**It must be a romance day for me, because I just couldn't help writing what happens at the end of the chapter :) R&R! **

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><p>Chapter 16<p>

The next morning was awkward. That was the only word that Arya could think of that would decribe her current situation perfectly. Both Riders were two very stubborn individuals and far too proud to admit any fault. Truth be told it was not entirely the green Rider's wrongdoing: Eragon should not have been in such a compromising position to begin with, andhe had offended her and she was still rather bitter about the offense, but if she had to be completely honest with herself she also was culpable of not being able to detach herself emotionally long enough to look at the situation from an objective point of view and therefore the standstill. The awkwardness.

Throughout the morning they had of course conversed, but it was nothing more than casual comments, both discreetly trying to get the other's attention. But of course they were both too proud and stubborn to actually talk about the subject their hearts were pining for. Saphira and Eridor actually found the lack of conversation between the two quite amusing, well, at least the glances they took when the other was not looking.

_Young one, how fares your Rider?_ Saphira asked the Green dragon once she cound no longer stand the silence.

_Arya is.. drist _he replied. The elf had of course been teaching him words, but he still had some difficulty. Whenever he could not think of the right word, he resorted to the Ancient Language. Saphira chuckled, but did not comment.

They had been flying for quite some time and it was nearing dark when they decided to finally make camp. The dragoness blatantly refused, stating that she could continue, but apparently Eragon was in no mood for her antics. Arya scanned the surrounding area and saw that a small patch of woods would give them cover from any unwanted company for the night.

_Saphira, land by the lake. We should be safe for the night_ she said to her friend and now master.

The Riders quickly got a fire starting, as winter was making its presence known in the cool but clear night. Arya looked up at Eragon who was moving around the small camp with a unemotional mask. She frowned. She was most definitely not used to not being able to read his emotions. In their past encounters, especially during their visit to Ellésmera, he was as open as a book layed out in front of her. She missed that. She missed him.

"Eragon" she said softly. This was it.

The tone of her voice startled him. Heck the softness of her voice caused him to stiffen, but he slowly turned to find her looking up at him, two emerald eyes shining in the light of the flames. She was sitting in front of the fire, legs crossed, but unlike her usual stance she was relaxed. Something that he certainly was not.

"Yes?" he asked as he sat down beside her, still keeping his distance.

"I wish to... apologize for my actions. It was not my place to interfere in your personal life, especially after the pain you have suffered because of my reckless thinking. I truly am sorry, for you did not deserve such harsh words." When she had finished, she could not help the tears starting to form in her eyes. Arya cursed herself for being so weak; her old self would laugh sardonically if she could see how painfully emotional she had become over the past two years and all because of a certain Rider.

Eragon moved closer to her, carefully wrapping an arm around her. At first he was rather cautious and it was to be expected when the elf could easily throw him into a tree if he was too careless. Eragon could feel Saphira's smirk. _Indeed she could, Little One_.

But shockingly, she did not move away or did she make any move to extract herself from Eragon's firm grip, instead she leaned into his figure. Something that left him bewildered, but he wisely decided not to comment.

"Arya, you need not apologize. You were right. I should not have even been in Trianna's presence alone after what happened in Tronjheim and I should not have offended you in such a manner. It was wrong of me and I profusely apologize, Dröttingu."

They sat in comfortable silence, the only noise being the crackling of the fire, until Arya extracted herself from Eragon's embrace, much to his dismay. But her next move left him completely and utterly speechless. She reached up with her hand and she placed it gently on his cheek, all the while keeping her eyes staring into his brown ones with something that Eragon could not quite place. She lifted herself and pressed her lips where her hand had just been, leaving the blue Rider in a daze.

"Good night, Eragon" she whispered and retreated to the resting form of Saphira, who had place a wing over Eridor protetively.

When Eragon finally recovered, he could not help the smile forming.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? To be honest, I thought of a million ways to get ExA going, but in the end I decided to end the chapter on a sweet note: not quite together, not quite not together. And I didn't want to do the whole Helgrind in one chapter, especially with this ending 'cause:<strong>

**1) I was in the mood for romance**

**2) You're going to have plenty of Faolin and believe me when I say you're going to hate him **

**Tell me what you think and I'll try my best to update faster this time :)**


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